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Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) has mobilized the entire South Carolina House delegation to push back against Sen. Roger Wicker’s (R-Miss.) opposition to the capital city of Charleston hosting a U.S.-European security conference in 2027, according to a letter shared exclusively with The Hill.
Wilson and his state colleagues sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Friday asking for his backing in ensuring Charleston remains the host city, and to use his influence to get Wicker on board.
The letter marks another escalation in a surprising feud between Wilson and Wicker, the chair and co-chair, respectively, of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, or Helsinki Commission, the U.S. branch of the 57-member Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
In March, Wicker put his support behind Charleston as the host city for the 2027 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly session, but then reversed course over the past few months.
“We respectfully ask that you work with House and Senate leadership, specifically Senate Helsinki Commission Chairman Roger Wicker, and the appropriate committees to ensure the United States remains the host of the 2027 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Annual Session in Charleston,” the letter from Wilson and other South Carolina House members to Johnson reads.
The letter was signed by Wilson and the entire South Carolina House delegation, which includes Republican Reps. Nancy Mace, Sheri Biggs, William Timmons, Ralph Norman and Russell Fry, along with Democratic Rep. James Clyburn.
Two congressional sources said Wilson and Wicker fell out over staffing decisions on the Helsinki Commission over the past few months.
Wicker’s office declined to comment, and it’s not clear what exactly motivated Wicker to fundamentally oppose hosting the OSCE session — and then lash out at Wilson after the South Carolina Republican disputed the gathering in Charleston was canceled.
Wilson has pushed back publicly, posting on the social platform X that Charleston remains the host city for the 2027 OSCE session, and sharing his side of the story with Semafor, The Post and Courier in Charleston and the Washington, D.C., gossip newsletter, Sources Say News.
Wicker reportedly threatened to strand Wilson in Europe this week, kicking him off a congressional delegation flight back to the U.S. And the two men’s wives reportedly ignored each other during an event at the U.S. Embassy in Slovenia.
In the letter sent to Johnson, Wilson and colleagues raised concern that Wicker is advocating for Belgrade, Serbia, to host the OSCE session in 2027. Serbia has committed to host the 2028 OSCE session.
“Hosting the Annual Session in the United States would send an unmistakable message of American leadership and reaffirm our nation’s enduring commitment to transatlantic security, democracy, human rights, and the rules-based international order. It also celebrates America as a leader, setting international policy by example,” the letter read.
Wilson told Semafor that Wicker said Charleston lacked “sufficient catering” — a bizarre accusation given the city is a top destination for dining in the South and has an ecosystem set up for hosting conferences. Wilson said Wicker also raised concern over the high cost of staffing the event.
“The city possesses outstanding convention facilities, ample hotel capacity, an internationally recognized tourism and hospitality industry, with strong support from state and local officials,” Wilson and colleagues wrote in the letter.
“Additionally, institutions such as The Citadel, the College of Charleston, and numerous civic and local organizations stand ready to provide volunteers and logistical assistance, helping ensure the event is conducted efficiently and cost-effectively.”
Sixteen lawmakers, including Wilson and Wicker, signed on to a March letter to Senate and House appropriators asking for $4 million in supplemental spending in 2027 to cover the cost of hosting the OSCE session in Charleston. The gathering is expected to bring 300 legislators and more than 200 support staff from 57 countries to draft and vote on the resolutions of the Parliamentary Assembly.
Wilson told Sources Say News that Wicker told him there’s no money available to hold the OSCE session in Charleston.
“If the money’s not there, I’ll go out and raise the money,” Wilson said.
The U.S. Helsinki Commission is unique in that it rotates leadership between the House and Senate chairs. It’s related to the OSCE, a well-meaning forum that has its roots in preventing conflict at the height of the Cold War.
But it has struggled to demonstrate its present relevance. The organization succeeded in passing a budget in 2026, ending a five-year stalemate, but cut about 10 percent of its operating costs under pressure from the U.S.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the OSCE has served as a useful forum for raising awareness of Russia’s human rights violations, and threats posed by the Kremlin against OSCE member states.
Add as preferred source on Google Tags James Clyburn Joe Wilson Laura Kelly Mike Johnson Nancy Mace Ralph Norman Roger Wicker Russell Fry William TimmonsCopyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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